The flight of Syrian and Palestinian families into Lebanon from Syria included a number of older refugees. This study sought to characterise the physical and emotional conditions, dietary habits, coping practices, and living conditions of this elderly population arriving in Lebanon between March 2011 and March 2013.
In order to do so, a systematic selection of 210 older refugees from Syria was drawn from a listing of 1800 refugees over age 60 receiving assistance from the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC) or the Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization (PALWHO). CLMC and PALWHO social workers collected qualitative and quantitative information during 2013.
The study concluded older refugees from Syria are a highly vulnerable population needing health surveillance and targeted assistance. Programmes assisting vulnerable populations may concentrate services on women and children leaving the elderly overlooked.
